ANIMAL FACTS - Tasmanian Devils

Tasmanian Devils are the largest living carnivorous marsupial (Dasyurid) in Australia. They have sharp powerful claws and a backward facing pouch. Each devil has distinctive white markings on their chest, which can be used like a fingerprint to identify individuals.

(Sarcophilus harrisii)

Tasmanian Devils are the largest living carnivorous marsupial (Dasyurid) in Australia. They have sharp powerful claws and a backward facing pouch. Male devils have a head to body length of 652mm. Females are smaller, reaching only 570mm in length. Male Tasmanian Devils can weigh up to 12kg, and females up to 10kg. Each Devil has distinctive white markings on their chest, which is used like a fingerprint to identify individuals.

Habitat

More than 5000 years ago, Tasmanian Devils were common on mainland Australia. Today, they are only found in Tasmania. They are however, found in virtually every type of habitat occurring in Tasmania, including suburban fringes. As Tasmanian Devils are shy, nocturnal creatures they are rarely seen in the wild.

Diet

Tasmanian Devils often scavenge dead animals (carrion) found on roadsides. Sadly, many of them are hit by cars while feeding. Tasmanian Devils travel up to 16km in search of food. They can devour an entire prey item, bones and all! A male Tasmanian Devil is capable of consuming one quarter of its own body weight in one feeding session.

Breeding

Female Tasmanian Devils commonly raise two young at one time. Joeys live in the pouch for almost four months. Once they emerge, joey devils remain in a den for a further few months, before leaving to learn the skills required for survival.

Threat Level

Tasmanian Devils Profiles

Eden

Eden is a shy devil but has definitely started to come out her shell since she arrived at Australia Zoo. She is keen to come out and see what her keepers are up to and loves to lie on top of the tallest rocks within her enclosures.

She loves to look outside her enclosure to see who is walking past and if one of them might be coming to visit her. Eden is quiet but is gaining confidence each day, she loves to investigate her enclosure first thing in the morning and to look for interesting smells and scent over any place her keepers may have past before her.

Merry

Sex: Female

Merry is confident devil that loves to climb and investigate new and different enrichments within her enclosure.

She is a vocal devil that will often chat away when she sees her keepers. Merry is always eager to participate in her training sessions and has quickly learnt to walk onto her scales and position onto her station on cue. You can often see her having a paddle in the waterfall and pond then digging in her sand pit to lie in the cool sand underneath.

Merry has and outgoing personality and has taken to all the keepers and looks forward to what they might bring to her enclosure each day!

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